The North American Truck Writers committee today announced that Stoneridge’s MirrorEye Camera Monitor System has won the 2020 Jim Winsor Technical Achievement Award. The award was presented during the Industry Awards Luncheon at the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition in Atlanta.
The annual award honors new products or technologies introduced the previous year that embody innovation, vision, technical achievement, and applicability and benefits for the trucking industry. Each year, a panel of editors representing the industry’s major publications nominates products and technologies and chooses five award finalists and one overall winner for the Technical Achievement Award. This year’s Top 5 finalists were chosen from more than 30 new products nominated by committee members.
“The group began its deliberations with a field of 32 interesting new products and technologies from 2019, making this year’s list the largest we have seen in several years,” said Jim Park, chairman of the award committee who writes for Heavy Duty Trucking and Today’s Trucking magazines. “But in our voting, MirrorEye emerged as the top product from the final field of five.”
Stoneridge’s MirrorEye Camera Monitor System replaces traditional glass mirrors on Class 8 trucks with a five-camera, three monitor array that provides a better field of view for drivers while eliminating blind spots. It also enables additional warning opportunities and improves vehicle fuel efficiency by eliminating bulky external mirrors.
“Recognition by this award is confirmation of MirrorEye’s significant impact on the industry, and reinforces our commitment to providing innovative technology solutions for years to come,” said Jon DeGaynor, president and CEO of Stoneridge, Inc. “Stoneridge is dedicated to applying our expertise and in-depth knowledge of commercial vehicle systems to ensure safety and efficiency on the road.”
The truck writers committee also honored four other products, which were awarded a Top 5 for 2020 trophy, including:
- Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems Intellipark – The electronic parking brake system improves safety by preventing roll-away events by automatically applying parking brakes. It also prevents tire and driveline damage by automatically releasing trailer brakes when the vehicle is in motion.
- Chevron Delo 600 – The engine oil, a low sulfated ash formulation, reduces the rate of Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) clogging to extend service intervals, lowers the need for active regeneration events, which cuts fuel consumption, and could enable improvements in DPF design.
- Link ROI Cabmate – The electronically controlled infinitely variable cab suspension improves ride quality and driver satisfaction. It protects the cab structure by controlling stress that can lead to higher maintenance costs and enhances safety by increasing vehicle stability and providing a more restful sleep for team drivers.
- SAF-Holland SMAR-te Tire Pilot – The tire inflation management system optimizes tire pressure based on axle load to maximize tire life. It improves safety under light loads by optimizing the tire contact patch for better traction, while cushioning the vehicle and cargo when lightly loaded.
Sponsored by LaunchIt Public Relations, the Jim Winsor Technical Achievement Award honors the highly respected, long-time truck journalist James W. Winsor, who passed away in 2015. Jim served as editor-in-chief at Commercial Carrier Journal and executive editor at Heavy Duty Trucking. He was also very active in the American Trucking Associations Technology & Maintenance Council and its forerunner, The Maintenance Committee.
Since 1991, editors from the North American trucking trade press have honored a new product or technology with a technical achievement award. Prior to 2016, the group was made up of members of the now defunct Truck Writers of North America. In 2017, the editors formed an ad-hoc committee to carry on the award, believing innovation and technical achievement in new product development should be recognized.
Technical Achievement Award committee members included John Baxter, freelance technical writer; Tom Berg, Construction Equipment and Land Line; Jason Cannon, Commercial Carrier Journal; Seth Clevenger, Transport Topics; John Hitch, Fleet Owner; James Menzies, Truck News; Jason Morgan, Fleet Equipment; Jack Roberts, Heavy Duty Trucking; Erica Schueller, Fleet Maintenance, John G. Smith, Today’s Trucking; Suzanne Stempinski, Land Line (retired), and is chaired by Jim Park, a contributor to Today’s Trucking and Heavy Duty Trucking magazines.
